Can I video record with an external webcam device?

Rather than get a new webcam, up the coinage a bit and get a video camera. You will get better video, better audio. but read the following on HD camcorders. It would cost in excess of $3500 to get a HD camcorder that could equal the video Quality of a $300 MiniDV tape camcorder. Consumer level HD camcorders have 3 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes - all times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event i have aver been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video. With a MiniDV tape camcorder, record 60 or 90 minutes ( camcorder settings), 90 second or less to change a tape and record for 60 or 90 more and repeat till you run out of tapes. You can get a Canon ZR960 for $250. It is a MiniDV tape camcorder, has a Mic jack. You need a firewire (IEEE1394) card (about $29) for the computer and a firewire cable (no more than $10) to be able to transfer video to your computer. If you want good sounds for your guitar videos, I suggest you get a Mixer. Use it for a guitar (either Mic or electric guitar) and a Mic for you. You can get good quality SM58 microphones for about $50 ( those are the ones you see when they do interviews on TV, (they have the wire mesh bulb on the end.). Then, after running your music and audio in to the mixer, you can balance the two and feed it right into the camcorders Mic port. The if you get the MiniDV tape camcorder mentioned above, have the camcorder hooked by fire wire to your computer, with the computer running your video editing software running its capture sub program, it would be very easy to make a video this way Visit your local Music store, the one that sells guitars and Drum Kits and many other musical devices. They are audio experts and they can help you. Some ideas, not that you need the same stuff, but visit my site and see what I use. http://www.asimplelife.ca/boss.html and http://asimplelife.ca/light.html